Outside the chamber, no guards had been stationed. Chen Kuang stepped into the meditation room and looked at the Three Great Chan Masters.
Not-Seeing, Not-Hearing, and Not-Speaking still sat cross-legged atop their prayer mats, their expressions unchanging, faces serene with faint smiles, calmly meeting Chen Kuang's gaze.
Not-Hearing sighed lightly and slowly spoke: "I heard the commotion just now... Has Xiuxin begun to doubt?"
When Chen Kuang heard him say "heard," he nearly glanced instinctively at the gaping black holes where ears should have been.
The Divine Abilities of these Three Great Chan Masters were all directly contrary to their Dharma Names.
Not-Hearing, though deaf, possessed a Divine Ability that allowed him to hear the sounds of all existence.
However... Chen Kuang could be certain that among all the sounds Not-Hearing had sensed, none came from Xiuzhu's self-exposure or psychological manipulation.
Why?
Because of the "Feather (Yu)" glyph that Chen Kuang now wielded.
This so-called ability to "hear the sounds of all existence" was, in truth, a fusion of the Dao of Time and the Dao of Music.
But it leaned more toward Space than Time.
And while Chen Kuang's current comprehension of the Dao of Space was not yet sufficient to fully disrupt Not-Hearing's Divine Ability, it was enough to interfere with it to a considerable degree.
Which, in turn, proved one thing:
Xie Mengquan's "Dao" truly stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Daoist Shore Realm.
Chen Kuang nodded slightly and smiled. "She's very perceptive. Naturally, she would immediately sense the change within the Pure Land, whether for better or worse."
Ever since Chen Kuang had conceived the idea of corrupting the Pure Land through "Tempering the Heart Through the Mortal World," these three Demon Lords had regarded him as one of their own.
He couldn't blame them, even Chen Kuang himself thought this idea was vicious and insidious, capable of shaking the very foundations of Dao-hearts.
If you think the method is flawed, then you're admitting your Dao-heart can't withstand worldly trials, you've already failed.
If you think it's a good method, then even elite figures like Xiuxin and Lionheart, both Profound Realm Buddha-children, have faltered under such trials. What hope do ordinary monks have?
Because in this world, the path to enlightenment is judged by actions, not intentions...
Those who can truly endure this form of tempering are few, perhaps one in ten thousand.
It was exactly this comprehension of the world's Dao laws that allowed Chen Kuang to devise this strategy.
And someone who could come up with such a method clearly could no longer be considered a true devotee of the Pure Land.
In fact, even if Chen Kuang were acting out of concern for the Pure Land, once the monks realized what had been done, they would inevitably treat him as an enemy.
To the Demon Lords, this was a perfect demonstration of allegiance.
Yet those three demons could never have imagined..
Chen Kuang, a man cultivating the Pure Land's orthodox cultivation technique, felt no attachment to the Pure Land whatsoever. He didn't care about adding another enemy to his list.
What he sought to save... was the world outside.
As for how many would die within the Pure Land, he had already made his choice. There was no point dwelling on it.
Just as, in the capital, he had used the lives of a few unrelated cultivators to escape Shen Xingzhu's grasp.
Once the price was paid, he never looked back.
Not-Hearing slid his fingers over his prayer beads and said calmly, "Still, it may have been a bit hasty... But Xiuxin was destined to oppose us anyway."
"Killing her sooner or later makes no difference."
His tone was peaceful, as if killing a Buddha-child was no more serious than stepping on an ant.
Chen Kuang nodded in agreement: "Indeed."
Then he adjusted his expression to one of concern and said, "But she's about to escape. I ask the Three Great Chan Masters to personally intervene to stop her."
Beside him, Not-Seeing, whose crowded, empty eye sockets turned toward Chen Kuang, said: "I've already sealed off the Pure Land. She cannot get out. I've dispatched the Discipline Hall to apprehend her. You and Xiuzhu should be enough."
Chen Kuang frowned, looking bewildered. He pointed to himself and asked hesitantly: "Me? You want me to stop Xiuxin?"
He gave a weak laugh. "I... don't think that's a good idea."
The moment those words left his mouth, a spark flickered in his heart.
He had refused and the passive had triggered.
His refusal was sincere, and thus, it would take effect.
From this moment forward, stopping Xiuxin would never be possible if Chen Kuang was the one to do it!
"...Hmm?"
Not-Hearing turned a half-smile toward him. "What, the one who defeated a Martial Saint can't handle a little Xiuxin?"
"I heard the resonance of the sea of suffering when that Martial Saint perished. Even from within the Pure Land, I heard it clearly. The centerpiece of that battle wasn't Lu Zhexuan, it was you."
Chen Kuang wore a pained smile, adopting the demeanor of a reluctant lizard forced into a fight. "Since you've heard it, then you know I used a trick. I'd fought Mu Zhao many times before and happened to become part of his heart-demon. Only then could I shatter his Dao-heart."
"As for Xiuxin, I've barely interacted with her. I'm not even a Master-level cultivator, just a Moon-Embracing Realm. How can I stop a Profound Realm powerhouse?"
"Wasn't I here to ask for your assistance in the first place?"
Chen Kuang wasn't worried that the demons might see through his act. He was acting. That was the point.
Over the past month, he'd consistently portrayed himself as a duplicitous schemer, often speaking ill of Xiuzhu. This show of hesitation now was entirely in character.
Plus, thanks to the "Steadfast as Stone" passive, unless he deliberately leaked his thoughts, no one could see into his mind.
And even if they did suspect something, it didn't matter.
His true trump card was the passive skill, its cause-and-effect law could not be overridden. So long as someone made a request and he refused, it would take effect.
And right now, Chen Kuang was far too valuable for the demons to dispose of over mere suspicion.
As expected, Not-Hearing fixed a penetrating stare on him for several seconds, nearly making him break out in a sweat.
Not-Seeing, who stood to the side, asked coldly: "Are you going or not?"
Chen Kuang finally exhaled and quickly wiped the sweat from his brow, then answered:
"I'll go! I'll go right now! But... if I fail to stop her..."
A second refusal would make no difference.
Once the passive had been triggered, it couldn't be revoked, not even if he agreed later.
Not-Hearing snorted coldly: "If you can't stop her, she still can't leave the Pure Land. What's there to fear?"
The three demon lords were getting bolder by the day, no longer even bothering to hide their true natures.
Chen Kuang turned and left the meditation hall, shooting off like a bolt of lightning in the direction they had indicated.
Xiuxin couldn't escape the seal around the Pure Land.
But... Chen Kuang could.
[Bound by Nothing: You may move freely under any circumstance, and travel to any place you have previously been. Nothing can restrain you.]
Chen Kuang's gaze sharpened.
If he could leave, and Xiuxin could not, then theoretically, even if Chen Kuang did nothing, he would still have stopped Xiuxin.
Because stepping out of the Pure Land would trigger a paradox.
And the [Refusal Stands] passive would not allow that paradox to manifest.
It would override reality to prevent the contradiction.
One outcome remained:
No matter what, Xiuxin... will leave the Pure Land.